


Rangeman 12 Days of Christmas

by RainbowSeverus



Series: "12 Days" [1]
Category: Stephanie Plum - Janet Evanovich
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-05-14 20:55:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5758537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowSeverus/pseuds/RainbowSeverus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ranger decides to give Steph 12 days of gifts ending with a very special one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

RPOV

     My name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso and for the past 4 months I have been the happiest man in the world.  I have my babe!  the best birthday gift I have ever received.  And now I have an idea to show her how much she means to me, times 12.  A flash of inspiration hit me like a bold out of the blue.  Twelve days of babe-worthy gifts to celebrate the Christmas season.  Starting on December 14th, tomorrow, I will be pampering my wonderful babe with 12 glorious days of festive decadence.  
     Day 1 -- December 14th --

     So here I am at the mall, bad-ass ex Army Ranger at the freaking mall, but my babe is worth it.  I believe I'll find what I am looking for at the specialty store here.  Hell, with the right amount of money you can find anything you could ever want or need, all you have to do is try.  I walk into the themed store and glance around.  I see a sign for "special" seasonal decorations an head for it.  I spot what i am looking for almost immediately.  I take my purchase to the front and pay for my first round of goodies.  Now to head home to give my babe her first of 12 gifts.  
     I arrive back at Haywood at 17:15 and she's not in her office, so I head up to 7.  I enter our apartment in silence to the subtle sound of the shower running.  I laugh to myself.  she probably ended up covered in garbage or some other mysterious substance while chasing down her latest skip.  I make my way to the bedroom just as the shower shuts off.  I sit back and relax with my back against the headboard of the bed and wait for her to enter.

 

SPOV

 

     I walk out of the bathroom and stop in my tracks.  Carlos is leaning back on the bed with a mysterious half-smile on his gorgeous face.  I feel the heat pool where I thought I was clean previously.  Well I was a minute ago at least.    
"What are you doing home so early.  I thought you had a skip to pick up with Tank." I ask.  
"Come here babe." He replies smoothly.  
"No."  
"Scared?"  
"Of course." I giggle.  
He chuckles slightly.  "Come here, I have something for you."  
He pulls a medium sized box blue wrapped gift from beside him with a silver bow attached.  He crooks his finger in a come-hither motion.  
"You have to come to it babe."  
So I walk over and sit by him on the bed and reach for my gift.  I begin to tear the paper off as I look into his beautiful brown eyes.  I lift the lid off of the black box.  My grin is immediate.  I look over at my "Batman" and see his full 1,000 watt smile in return.  Inside the box is a matching set of "Batman" and "Wonder Woman" ornaments.  
"Thanks Batman, I love them almost as much as I love you!"  
"You're welcome babe.  Now lose the towel!" He says as his eyes turn deep chocolate brown.    
I immediately feel a tug and the cold air of room hits my heated body.  Carlos moves his lips toward mine and all I can think is 'Oh Boy!'


	2. Chapter 2

Day 2 – December 15th

RPOV  
It’s now day two of my little twelve day gift-fest and I decide to tell my babe what I am going to be up to for the next 11 days when I present her with today’s little trinket. I have the box all ready as I head to her office to surprise her. She is sitting in front of her computer diligently typing away, looking for the scumbags we hunt down. I see her rub the back of her neck before she looks up realizing I’m there.  
“Hey Batman, what can I do for you?” She asks.  
I give her a small smile as I tell her, “Later. Now is all about what I am going to do for you for the next 11 days.”   
“What do you mean the next 11 days?”  
“Here, start by opening this, then I’ll explain.” I tell her as I hand her the next gift. It is wrapped in glossy black paper and adorned with a silver ribbon and bow. She takes the package from my hands with a curious look.  
“I love it when you get all mysterious on me Carlos.” She says as she begins to unwrap the present. She looks up at me with wistful tears in her eyes when she sees what I have chosen for today. In the box is a silver 8 x 10 picture frame with the word “someday” engraved on it across the bottom and in the top two corners are engraved the letters “C” and “S”. The frame contains a candid black and white photo of us holding each other right after one of our special “alley” kisses. The look of love is clearly apparent and seen in both our eyes.  
“Wow,” she sniffles. “This is such a beautiful picture of us. Where did you get it?”  
“Lester snuck it a few months ago with his cell phone and thought that now was a good time to finally share it with us.” I chuckled.  
“Well I’m glad he did. Remind me to give him a big hug and a kiss next time I see him.” She grins.  
“Not too big, he may be family, but I share with no-one!” I snarl. “Now the explanation, you will be receiving a different gift from me for the next ten days until the last one on Christmas Day, just little tokens of my undying love and devotion to you. Enjoy!” I say as I kiss her lips tenderly then turn to go back to my office for the rest of the day.  
I can hear her whisper as I walk away. “I will and I love you too, Carlos!”

Day 3 – December 16th   
SPOV  
‘I am one lucky woman’, I think to myself as I stand in line at my favorite bakery “The Tasty Pastry”. I look down at the gift certificate in my hand for a dozen free Boston Creams and I have 51 more of the same thing at home now. Carlos’ gift for today was 52 weeks of a dozen free Boston Creams. This man truly knows my weakness, Boston Creams, pineapple upside-down cake, ok let's face it, ANY cake, and him! The lady behind the counter boxes up my dozen pieces of Heaven and I head out the door to the bond's office. Hey, I'll share!! I think to myself 'I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!'


	3. Chapter 3

Day 4 – December 17th   
RPOV  
So here I am ready to give my babe day 4’s little gift, or should I say small gift with a big meaning. I wonder if she realizes what the “someday” hint on the gift from a couple of days ago truly meant? She is getting ready for our dinner date at Rossini’s. I’ll give her today’s gift then. She walks out of the dressing room looking as gorgeous as ever in her little black dress and matching heels. Her wild brown curls pinned up but some falling loose around her face. She walks over with a twinkle in her eyes.  
“You ready to go Batman?” She purrs.  
I lift my hand and gently cup the back of her head as I release her hair from its confinement.  
“You know I love your hair down. Why do you tease me like this?”  
“Because I love the look in your eyes as you release it.”  
I give her my full 1,000 watt grin as I say, “Let’s go.”  
We arrive at Rossini’s and the valet takes possession of my Turbo as we head inside. We find our table, in the back corner of course, and I take up my usual spot with my back to the wall and my eyes take in my surroundings. We order dinner, Chicken Caesar Salad for me and Sausage Alfredo for my babe.  
“That stuff will kill you babe.” I chuckle.  
She moans into her final bite, “but what a way to go!”  
I laugh softly. As we wait for her dessert of tiramisu to arrive, I reach into my pocket and pull out today’s gift. I pass the small yellow package with the black bow across the table to her.  
“Today’s gift,” I tell her.  
“Oh,” she says as her blue eyes light up with joy.  
She carefully opens the small bright box and her eyes fill with questions as she holds up the single key on a Batman key chain.  
“What’s this?” She asks.  
“What do you think, babe?” I answer.  
The light in her eyes when she realizes what it is and what it means is almost blinding.  
“Is this what I think it is?” She squeals.  
Her eyes widen in astonishment. “Well Batman, let’s go check it out.”  
I grin back and take hold of her hand and we leave dessert behind, forgotten for the moment.

Day 5 – December 18th  
SPOV

First stop today, the bond’s office. Business has been slow and my rent is becoming due, so hopefully Connie will have some files for me. I walk in to see Lula’s bright green spandex encased derriere up in the air in front of the file cabinet.  
“Wow, she’s actually filing!” I tell Connie.  
"Your ass," Lula snaps. "I do work around here, ya know!"  
“Sure, whatever,” I say “so any files for me Connie?”  
“Sorry, nothing for you today,” she replies.  
I sigh as I feel a tingle on the back of my neck. Soon I feel warm breath by my ear and a whisper, “Hey babe”.   
I turn around and say, “Hey Batman, what’s up?”  
“Today’s gift is what’s up and being hand delivered.” He pulls a white envelope out of an inside jacket pocket. Oh, did I mention that today is “Corporate Armani Ranger”, my favorite next to naked Ranger, of course. Nothing is better than naked Ranger. He hands me the envelope.  
“What is the gift of the day today?” I ask.  
“You have to open it and see for yourself babe.” He smirks.  
I snip back playfully. “Bite me, Batman!”  
“Anytime, babe”, he replies as his wolf grin appears and it slips away just as quick.  
I open the envelope and look at the gift certificate. It is for a full weekend at a ritzy New York City spa. All expenses paid, every treatment they offer, hotel stay included.  
“Wow, Batman, this is really nice. Can I get used to this kind of pampering often?”  
“Whatever you want babe, every month if it is what you wish.”  
“What the heck is it?” Lula snaps.  
I laugh a bit. “It’s a full spa weekend, hotel included.”  
“Hey, Batman what about me?” Lula asks.  
“That’s Tank’s job, talk to him.” Ranger replies.  
I giggle and cut my eyes to Lula. She thinks for a bit and says. “Yeah, ok, I can see that.”  
“Well babe, I have a ton of meeting to get to. I’ll see you later on 7.”  
“Sure thing, count on it Batman!” I lean up and kiss him lightly. As he walks out the door, I turn to see Lula’s and Connie’s matching shit-eating grins.  
“Don’t even think about saying it.” I say as I spin on my heel and march right out the door!


	4. Chapter 4

Day 6 - December 19th   
RPOV  
I walk back into the apartment after my morning run and workout. It's now 07:30. I'm tempted to wake my babe up, but I decide to shower first. I call Ella with the breakfast order then I head to the bathroom. Hey, I'm a smart man, I didn't build my successful company by being stupid, so I let Steph sleep for a while longer. So off I go to get this sweat-slicked skin clean. After a refreshing shower I step out into the dressing room with a towel slung low around my hips. I finish drying the remaining droplets of water off of my body, then get dressed for the rest of the day. I'm wearing my basic everyday Rangeman uniform of black cargo pants, black t-shirt, and shit-kicker combat boots. I turn to unlock the hidden safe in the corner of the room near the gun safe. I quietly remove today's gift. I slip it into one of the many pockets on my right pants leg. I make my way back to the bed just as Steph begins to stir; as she should it's nearly 08:30.  
"Babe, wake up. Ella just dropped off breakfast. It's waiting for us." I say as I lean down and gently shake her shoulder.   
"Mmmmm... 5 more minutes please, Carlos," she tries.  
"No, babe, you have to get up now." I insist.  
She just groans and tries to roll back over.   
"OK, you leave me no choice babe. This calls for drastic measures." I tease. Then I begin to tickle her all over her sides and stomach. She squirms and giggles and eventually relents.  
"OK, OK, enough torture Batman, I'm up already!" She sits up and rubs her eyes gently. "You know paybacks are a bitch, Batman!" She whines.  
I just look down at her and grin. She heads toward the bathroom as I head for the kitchen to check on breakfast. Ella has left everything in the warming oven for us. She made me an egg-white veggie omelett and Steph has Ella's famous chocolate chip pancakes. I get the fruit and juice out of the refrigerator just as Steph enters the room. Everything is on the dining room table now waiting for us to dig in. Steph sits across from me at the table.  
"What's on the menu for this morning, Batman?" She asks.  
I lift the covers off both of our plates with a flourish to let her see for herself. "Ella's chocolate chip pancakes for you and veggie omelette for me," I tell her.  
She pours a generous amount of maple syrup on her stack of 3 pancakes and starts to eat. "Yum," she moans with her first bite. "I so love Ella, can we keep her?" She asks.  
I chuckle. "Well, I don't plan on getting rid of her anytime in the foreseeable future, so you're in luck."  
"Good, because I would go with her!" She laughs.  
I flash my full 1,000 watt smile at her. We quickly finish our breakfast after that. Steph groans and leans back in her chair patting her stomach with relief. I lean back reaching in my pocket as I do and bring out the gift-wrapped box for today.  
"Babe," I say.  
"Yeah, sorry, I'm full so now I want a nap." She smiles.  
"Well you can go back to bed for a nap, or shower and start the day, whichever you want; but first there's this." I say as I pass the box across to her.  
"Oh boy, today's gift," she says as her eyes go up. She slowly pulls the blue paper and white ribbon off to reveal a blue velvet hinged jewelry box. She looks up in surprise.  
"Open it, please." I say.  
She clicks open the top of the box and looks down upon the necklace I saw at "Tiffany's" and had to buy for her. It is a 2-carat pear-shaped sapphire, the exact shade of blue as her eyes, surrounded by diamonds.  
"Oh my God, Carlos, it's beautiful!" She exclaims.  
"Nothing but the best for you babe, and the stones are no match for the sparkle in your eyes right now." I quietly tell her.  
I see the tears rolling down her cheeks as she rises from her chair and begins to walk around the table toward me. I quickly get up to meet her halfway. She throws her arms around my neck and kisses me soundly.  
"Thank-you, it's gorgeous! I love you Carlos!"  
"You're very welcome babe. And just so you know, remember, I'm only halfway done!" I tell her with a glint in my eyes.

Day 7 - December 20th  
SPOV  
So here I am walking through the mall headed toward Macy's. Ranger gave me today's gift earlier today at lunchtime. It is short, sweet, to-the-point, and goes directly to a woman's heart, my heart to be exact. It's shopping! He presented me with a $1,000 Macy's gift card and told me to enjoy it and make myself happy. He said. "Go to the shoe department and shop till you drop babe." I intend to do just that! I stroll through the front door of Macy's and head for the shoe department at break-neck speed. My eyes fill with glee as I glance upon the wonderment of shoe bliss. The first pair to attract my attention is a pair of black open-toe 4-inch pumps with ribbon straps that wrap around the ankle and calf as you tie them up. 'These are wicked sexy.' I think to myself. Of course they are the first pair I place in my basket. I quickly add 5 more to-die-for pairs and find I am running out of luck here. But my devilish mind quickly devises a way to spend the rest of my card and treat Carlos while I'm at it. I pay for my shoes and head over to the lingerie department. I think to myself. 'He said to treat myself to whatever I want and I want to treat him too by way of some "bedroom" gifts of his own. Now what to buy?' I decide on practical first getting a basic set of pink lace bra and thong panties. Next I choose a deep purple floor length satin and lace pengoire set. 'Now for the piece-de-resitance.' I think. I find an absolutely stunning red satin corset with black satin ties and black lace edgings. I have a black lace thong that will match it perfectly. I pay for all my lacy things and head out, since the gift card is nearly gone. There is only about $150 left on it, but I decide to keep that for an emergency, because you never know, right?! #


	5. Chapter 5

Day 8 - December 18th  
RPOV  
'Dios,' I think to myself. I don't have Steph's gift for today yet. What I had planned on getting her fell through at the last minute. A phone call from a close personal friend, an old Ranger buddy, broke my spirit. I thought I could get us tickets to the Broadway showing of "Ghostbusters", but my friend got fired the day before and neglected to tell me. 'Shit, what do I do now?' I thought harshly. I pick up the daily Trenton Times sitting on my desk and begin to thumb through the pages. I reach the classified section and a colorful ad catches my eye.  
"The Collector's Dream!"  
A 2-day Extravaganza  
"Find anything your collector's heart may desire  
Friday and Saturday Dec. 20th and 21st  
12 noon till 8 p.m.  
Sun National Bank Center parking lot

'Well,' I think, 'this has possibilities.' I get up from my desk and make my way over to my babe's personal space. We better get a move on since it's nearly 1100.  
"Hey babe, you really busy right now or do you have time for a little lunch on 7?" I ask her quietly.  
"It's only 11:00 yet Carlos, you want to eat this early, why?" She inquires.  
"Yes, I want to talk to you about a possible shopping trip today while we eat." I tell her.  
"Oh, OK," she says as she shuts down her computer. "Let's go then."  
I grab her hand and enterlace her fingers with mine as we head toward the elevator. We exit on 7 and walk into our apartment to find the lunch Ella has just delivered. We begin to eat the chicken salad on whole-wheat sandwiches and fresh slices of fruit. As we eat I pull the ad out of my pocket and pass it to her. She peruses it for a bit then looks up at me quizically.  
"What's this?" She wonders aloud.  
"It's a collector's fair, it seems. I thought we could check it out after lunch if you want." I say.  
"Well, it looks like fun, so OK let's see what they have. You never know what you could find at these sort of things." She replies.  
"Exactly," I grin.  
After lunch we head downstairs to the garage and out.  
"This place is right down from the bonds office on Hamilton at the Sun Center." Steph says.  
"Yes, it is babe." I respond.  
"Let's stop by the office and see if Connie or Lula want to ride with us." She asks me timidly.  
"Babe, I am not walking around this thing with Lula in her outrageous outfits, besides I want this to be some quality time for us alone." I tell her.  
"If you insist, Batman, but real quality alone time would come MUCH later after we get back to 7!" She winks.  
I give her my 200-watt grin as we pass by the bonds office and motor toward the Sun Center. As we pull up, I see tons of cars and wall-to-wall booths set up.  
"Looks like an interesting assortment of wares." I say.  
"And at least 200 booths to choose from, too!" She replies with wonder.  
"Let's go see what they have to offer." I say as I climb out of the Cayenne and beep it locked. In front of us is literally a sea of booths. We pass by an odd assortment of off-the-wall things and of course, the usual type of collector's choices, too. We walk by some normal items such as coins, stamps, baseball and sports memorabelia, Ty beanies, and of course some Fabrege eggs. Steph pauses in front of a booth dedicated to Christmas ornaments and spots a beautiful set of blown glass ornaments depicting each of the 12 days of Christmas like the popular song suggests. I can see in her eyes she wants to buy them so I let her and then inquire as to why.   
"Why those babe?" I ask.  
"Well in honor of our first Christmas and your 12 day gifting spree, I thought they were appropriate. And I still haven gotten today's gift yet, you know." She teases.  
"All in due time, babe," I tease back.  
We walk away from that booth and move onward. We pass by a few more with no luck and are about to call it a day when we both spy the perfect booth about 6 or so away from us.  
"OMG, "Ghostbusters" collectibles!" Steph gasps.  
"Let's scope it out babe." I grin.  
We walk to the perfect mini-shop for my babe and she starts to look around with merriment in her eyes. They have all sorts of memorabelia. Everything from dolls of the characters to mugs to mouse pads are arranged to see and for sale. Steph is looking at the smaller stuff while I spot a book-like thing in a glass case. The small white card-like label below it reads, "signed Ghostbusters script". I can see the 5 scrawls in various spots on the cover page.  
"You interested in that?" The vendor asks. "It's autographed by the main 5 cast members, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, and Rick Moranis." He states.  
"Sure, how much?" I inquire.  
"$29,500," he replies.  
"Wrap it up, my man!" I smile.  
"What are you doing?" Steph asks. "That is way too much money to spend!"  
"Babe, the way your eyes lit up when you saw it, I had to spoil you and get it for you." I tell her. "And besides, it's today's gift babe. I still owe you one, right?"  
"Yes, you do and since you put it that way, I forgive you this time. Oh, who am I kidding?" She snickers. "I'll forgive you most anything, my love."  
She leans up and kisses me lightly, no deep tongue in front of the vendor guy.  
"Thank-you Mr. Manoso." the vendor replies as he scopes out the large check I just handed him.  
"You're welcome, my man." I say as we turn to walk away arm-in-arm. I look over at my babe's large smile and joy-filled eyes and know that today's gift really hit home and touched her heart. My full 1,000-watt smile is in place as we continue our tour not caring if we find anything else worth buying. We both are ecstatic and all smiles for the remainder of the day!

Day 9 - December 22nd  
SPOV  
I rouse from sleep wrapped in Ranger's strong arms. I love how it feels to be cocooned in his embrace, so safe and secure; and let's face it, and arousing with his "morning wood" poking me in my ass. I purr and sigh contently as I wiggle my butt. I hear Ranger's soft growl and a teasing whisper in my ear. "Playing with fire, babe!" He chides.  
I giggle and wiggle free from his embrace as I head stark naked to do my morning bathroom routine to prepare for my Sunday. I can feel Carlos' eyes on my backside as I sway my hips away and I hear his answering low growl. I do the potty thing and start the shower up. I'm in there not even 2 minutes when I feel a warmth behind me that has nothing to do with the hot water. I lean back into his strong arms and sigh. Thirty satisfying minutes later we step out and dry off to dress for breakfast. Ranger calls Ella for my treat of her homemade cinnamon doughnuts. He, of course, has the usual of fruit and whole-wheat bagels and we both have coffee.  
"So, what do you want to do today?" I ask him.  
He gives me a slight wolf-grin and then talks. "I thought I would take you over Point Pleasant to see the sights and enjoy some relaxing down time while the season is slow." He informs me.  
"Nice, no tourists to wade through and the beach mostly to ourselves, I could really get into that." I respond.  
"Good," he replies with a playful smirk that tells me he is up to something. "Go get yourself dressed while I wash up the breakfast dishes, babe."  
"Sure thing, Batman," I say as I sashay off for the dressing room.  
Once there, I choose a pale yellow long-sleeve blouse and dark denim jeans with white sneakers completing my look. I pull my hair into a pony-tail, slap on light make-up and I'm ready to hit the road. Ranger makes short work of dressing and is done long before I am ready. He has chosen a pair of black jeans and a dark green Henley shirt with his normal shit-kicker boots, of course! We dump our dirty towels and such in the hamper, which will be mysteriously empty when we return, and head out of the apartment. I smile and give my patented finger-wave to the camera for whoever is on monitor duty today.  
"Cal," Ranger says, cutting into my thoughts.  
I laugh and tell him, "Damn, ESP!"  
He chuckles as the elevator doors open at the garage level. We head over to the Cayenne again, riding in Rangeman style. We hit the open road and Ranger goes into his driving zone. After 5 minutes, I am bored out of my mind and shifting in my seat restlessly. I reach for the radio and the smooth sound of classical Mozart fills the air.  
"This shit puts me to sleep Carlos. Where's the Metallica, hell Bon Jovi, even?!" I whine.  
Ranger laughs and says. "You left some CD's in the glove box, I think."  
"Thank goodness!" I sound relieved.  
So for the next 20 minutes or so I am grooving out to Bon Jovi. We finally arrive and when Carlos shuts off the engine, I am brought out of my music coma. We exit the vehicle and walk around the boardwalk for a while. It's quiet and peaceful this time of year, only a few other couples strolling along around us. It's lunchtime before we realize it. My stomach lets itself be known with a loud rumble. Ranger laughs out loud and turns to me to say, "Let's feed the beast, babe!"   
"Good, I feel like seafood right now." I reply.  
"OK," he says. "I know this great little seafood place a half a mile or so away."  
We walk 6 blocks away from the beach and up to a small cafe with outdoor seating. We choose one of the tables near the door and sit. The waitress walks up and asks for our our order.  
"I'll have the seafood salad and a water, please. What do you want, babe?" Ranger asks.  
"I'll have the large fried seafood platter with fries and a coke." I tell her.  
"OK, I'll be back soon with your food." She replies.  
She walks away as Ranger looks up into my eyes with a tender look in his chocolate ones. "Have I told you lately that I love you, babe?" He tells me lovingly.  
"Yes, just last night you did, but a girl can never hear it too much. I love you too, Carlos." I smile back.  
"I also have today's gift to give you, you know. But, that will come later today, when you least expect it." He says with a mischievous grin.  
I squeeze his hand just as our food arrives. We begin to eat. After we are done, he pays, then we leave and start walking toward the parked Cayenne. We drive three-quarters of a mile or so into a quaint neighborhood of small seaside houses. I am enjoying looking at them and wondering, 'What if?' Ranger sees the dreamy look on my face and asks.  
"Do you want to get out and look around some?"  
"Sure, why not?" I reply.  
We park the Cayenne beside the road and start strolling hand-in-hand down the sidewalk. I notice a cute little pale blue cottage that looks to be 2 or 3 bedrooms. I look at it wistfully. Ranger asks me. "You want to look at that one more closely?"  
"Yeah, but the sign says "sold"." I say.  
He turns my face toward him and asks. "Do you like it?"  
"Yes, but it's sold, so it's ok. We can look at some more." I frown.  
"Babe," he says, as I realize he is holding my left hand open with his right and his left hand is a closed fist above them. He then opens his closed fist and drops a set of keys into my open hand.  
"What's this?" I ask shocked.  
"A little vacation spot for us away from the Batcave, yes it's sold, to me! I bought it for you. I know how much you love Point Pleasant. This is today's gift, babe." He tells my wide eyes and gaping open mouth.  
The tears start streaming down my face as I look up into his eyes. He brushes away a stray tear with his thumb. "Don't cry, babe. What's the matter?"  
"These are happy tears Carlos. I don't know if I should tell you to stop spoiling me. I think not, since I have 3 more days of gifts to go and there's no telling what you will come up with next!" I whisper through the tears.  
He jut responds with his full 1,000-watt smile and a bone-melting kiss!! ###


	6. Chapter 6

Day 10 - December 23rd  
RPOV  
I feel like a million bucks. My babe is ecstatic with her rounds of daily gifts which makes me extremely euphoric. I can hardly wait for her to see her final three days of surprises. It's mid-morning so I decide to go check on my babe. She's glued to her computer screen in her office as I approach her domain. I stand still as a statue with my arms and legs crossed waiting for her to notice my presence. I see her absent-mindedly rub her neck, a tell-tale sign she realizes I'm here. She looks up in surprise.  
"How long have you been standing there watching me?" She asks.   
"Not long, babe, and not watching, admiring the lovely view." I tell her.  
I step into her work space and walk to her side. She looks up to me as I take her hands in mine and gently pull her up into my arms. I give her an equally tender and passionate kiss.  
"Not that I'm complaining or anything, Batman, but what do you need?" She inquires.  
I reply. "I just wanted to visit you and make sure you're free for lunch later, say 12:30 or so. I have an early meeting in a few and it may run some time past noon"  
"Sure, it's a date! Just call me when you get done." She smiles up at me.  
"Later then, babe," I tell her after one more fleeting kiss to her delectable lips. I reluctantly turn and leave. As I walk away and near the elevator to go down to the garage, I make a very important phone call.  
"How is everything looking for later?" I ask the person on the other end of the line.  
"All is going as planned, dear. All will be ready at the time you requested." She informs me.  
"Gracias, tia," I say.  
"De nada, mi sobrino," she replies.  
I hang up the phone as I exit the elevator on the garage level. I love having my tia Ella working for me She is always there when I need her and ever-willing to lend a helping hand. I must remember to give her a bonus for this particular job. If she pulls it off, especially in only a matter of hours, (I only asked her about it this morning), I will be truly amazed and eternally grateful. I join Tank in a Rangeman standard SUV and we head out to our possible new client meeting.  
Tank and I return two hours later after a lengthy, but productive meeting. We got the account. The newest and most popular jewelry store in Trenton has signed an exclusive contract with Rangeman. We exchange a fist bump after exiting the SUV and heading toward the elevator.  
"See you later man." Tank tells me.  
"Yo, man," I pat his shoulder.  
I dig my phone out of my cargos and hit speed dial 1.  
"Yo, babe, I just got back and am on my way up. Do you want to eat on 7 or head out to pick up something?" I ask.  
"Hmmm...," she starts. "I have a craving for Chinese today. Can we head over to China Wok and eat out?" She asks timidly.  
"Sure, babe, whatever your heart desires, you know that. Do you want to head up to 7 to change, or just head on out?" I say.  
"I'm ready now, so let's just go." She says as I turn the corner and spot her in the hallway heading my way. We both close our phones and grin. We quickly turn around and head to the elevator. And once again, I head down to the garage. This time tho, I take my Cayenne.   
The trip to the restaraunt only takes a few minutes. We head inside and are seated rather quickly. We order our lunch of lemon chicken, wild rice with veggies, beef and broccoli, and shrimp lo mein. I'll let you guess who ordered what. After we finish eating and I pay leaving a generous tip, we head back to Haywood to finish our work days.  
Back at Rangeman we went our seperate ways toward our respective offices. After a few more hours of work, I was restless and ready to present my latest surprise to Steph. I pick up the phone and dial 6 to inquire if all is set. I get an affirmative response and move out to start up my plan. I enter Steph's office at nearly 16:00.  
" Babe, you ready to knock off for the day? I have a surprise for you." I tell her.  
"Sure, Carlos," she replies as she shuts down her computer.  
As she begins to rise, I meet her half way. After a brief hug and a kiss, we begin to move toward the elevator. The ride up to 7 is quiet, unusual for my babe. We exit on 7 and I lead her toward the stairwell.  
"Where are we going?" Steph asks as we enter the stairwell.  
"It's a surprise, remember? Do you trust me?" I ask her.  
"Of course I do." She replies.  
We exit the stairwell through the heavy metal door at the top. I am truly impressed as I look around. I see the same awe and raw emotion in Steph's eyes as she takes in the scene around us. Ella has really outdone herself, she is definately getting that bonus! We are surrounded by a beach themed wonderland. Sand is scattered all over the rooftop. All around the perimeter sit lit tiki torches. Soft beach music spills from the hidden speakers. A grass-style hut sits in the middle of the roof with a table in the center, and on it is today's gift. There is even a few beach balls scattered about and a green striped surfboard propped up beside the hut.  
"Wow, what is all this?" Steph wonders aloud.  
"Today's gift, babe, in a speial atmosphere," I say.  
She looks up at me with a tender smile and walks over to the table.  
"Hey, there's luau like food here, too." She notices.  
"Yes, I thought we would have dinner up here, too." I tell her.  
"Great idea," she giggles. "But first I get to open my gift."  
She reaches for the package wrapped in white paper with colorful hibiscus flowers and a green bow. She lifts the lid and peers inside. Resting there is a bright blue string bikini, along with a pale blue envelope. She picks up the envelope and looks inside. She pulls out the two round-trip tickets for 2 weeks in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.  
"I thought we could use a sandy get-away." I tell her honestly.  
"Absolutely," she tells me with tears in her eyes. She hugs me tightly, then we hear the famous rumble.  
"Let's feed the beast, babe." I laugh.  
So we sit down to enjoy Ella's luau feast. After we have our stomachs filled, we dance the night away, swaying in each other's arms mimicking the flicker of the tiki torch's flames.

 

Day 11 - December 24th  
SPOV  
'Ugh, sometimes Rangeman meetings are so boring.' I think to myself. But I sit here patiently waiting for Carlos to release everyone. Today is Christmas Eve so he is releasing most of his employees early to use the normal holiday skeleton crew. As the minutes slowly pass by I remember more "pleasant" times.  
Carlos' hands and mouth are all over me, slowly and gently exploring.  
I am brought out of my revelry by Carlos' voice next to my ear.  
"Babe, you still with us?" He asks.  
"Yea, sorry, I was just away for a minute there." I say.  
"The meeting is over. Everyone has left for the day." He tells me.  
"OK, I'll go get a sandwich or something to snack on while you're finishing up here." I say.  
"Sure babe, I have something to discuss with Bobby and Les here, then I'll be done for the day." Carlos responds.  
I give him a light kiss and turn to leave. I head out towards the break room and hope there's a decent sandwich on worthless white bread there waiting for me, but I know my wishes are futile. It's a good thing I have a hidden stash of Tasty-cakes in the back of the corner cabinet. I move a few packages of paper plates around and think, 'A-ha, God bless Ella for not getting rid of them.' I remove and open a package of Coconut Juniors and take that first bite of Heaven. An unconscious moan escapes my lips. As I am enjoying my little slice of Heaven-on-Earth, Les and Bobby walk in with pained expressions on their faces and audible groans of discomfort coming out of their mouths.  
"Oh, damn, she's at it again." Bobby mutters.  
"Man if only I could hear those sounds under different circumstances, like her under me." Les says.  
Bobby smacks Les on the back of the head. "Shut up, dumb ass, you got a death wish?" He scolds. "Hey Bomber," he adds. "You want to hang with me and Les in the gym for a few, you need to work off that Tasty-cake you know."  
I think to myself. 'Hmmm.... a half-naked Bobby and Les all sweaty and breathing hard? Count me in!'   
"OK guys, you get 30 minutes, that's it. What do you have in mind?" I ask.  
"You don't want to know what's on my mind, beautiful." Les grins as he wiggles his eyebrows.  
Bobby just sighs. "We need to practice some self-defense moves on someone smaller and quicker than us, holds and escapes and such." Bobby tells me.  
"OK, sounds good to me. I could do to learn a few more defense escapes myself. You know how I tend to attract crazies." I laugh.  
They both chuckle in return. I toss my empty wrappers, (I couldn't resist, I ate two, so sue me!) We head down to the gym, or Hell-on-Earth as I call it. We enter the gym and it is surprisingly emtpy.  
"Great, we have the mats all to ourselves." Les says as he wiggles his eyebrows again.  
For the next several minutes Bobby and Les proceed to show me some basic escapes from common holds. Les is standing behind me with his left arm wrapped tightly around my waist and his right arm snug around my neck, his elbow bent.  
"OK beautiful, how would you get out of this?" Les asks.  
"Like this," I say.   
I bring my right elbow forward and slam it back with all my strength right into Lester's ribs. As he grunts in surprise, I take the opportunity to turn in his arms a shove him backwards with all my might. We topple down together, landing on the mats with Lester flat on his back dazed and me sitting straddling over his hips with my hands on his rock-hard chest and me gasping for breath.  
"Shit Steph, I am going to have fantasies about this for months!" Les jokes.   
"Santos!" I hear Ranger growl from behind me.  
I quickly stumble my way up to my feet. Once I make my way to my feet, I head over to Ranger and wrap my arms around his waist.  
"Hey Batman," I tell him.  
He nods his head. "Babe," he utters as he glares in Lester's direction. "Santos, mats 05:00," he growls softly.  
Les lets out a defeated sigh, "Crap!"  
Bobby and Les head out the door with Bobby reprimanding Les the whole time.  
"Aw, Batman, you know Les doesn't mean any harm. It's just the way he is." I tell him.  
"It's a matter of respect, babe. He has to learn his place and his lessons are on the mats." He responds.  
"Well, far be it from me to tell you how to discipline your employees." I tease.  
"Enough about my dumb-ass cousin, it's time for your daily gift surprise babe." He says to me.  
"Oh well, then lead the way Batman." I say with twinkling eyes.  
We head out of the gym and toward the elevator. We step out on the garage level.  
"OK, so where are we headed this time Carlos?" I ask.  
"Right here, babe," he says as he points to a spot to our right.  
I look over to where he is indicating and my jaw drops open. Two spaces from the elevator, also know as my personal parking space, or "Bomber's spot", as the Merry Men call it, sits a brand new Mercedes 350 SUV. It is sliver with a huge bright blue bow wrapped around it.  
"Huh, Wh... What's this?" I stutter.  
"Day 11 babe," Carlos says as he places a set of keys into my hand.  
"Wow, you really went all-out this year didn't you Batman?" I say.  
"This is our first year together of many. I wanted it to be special and memorable for you." He explains.  
"Well, it certainly is memorable." I grin.  
"Do you like it?" He asks.  
"It's amazing!" I say as I turn towrd him and wrap my arms around his neck.  
"Let's take a look at it then." He says.  
I unlock the driver's side door and climb behind the wheel. I sit and enjoy the feel of the luxurious leather that surrounds me. I start to get a tingly feeling deep in my body. I turn to look at Carlos with sparkling dark sapphire eyes.  
"What do you say we break in the back seat, Carlos?" I practically purr.  
His eyes darken to deep chocolate pools as I notice him slip a remote out of his pocket and lazily hit a button.  
"Scrambled?" I ask.  
He just looks at me with his 1,000-watt wolf grin as his lips descend toward mine. 'Yes!' I think to myself, 'nothing like some Batman lovin' to christen a vehicle right!' ###


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N There is a portion of this chapter later on that is in Spanish. Please excuse any translation errors. I got my translation from Google translate. And also this is the finale to my first FF story so ...... enjoy!! And as always please review.

Day 12 - December 25th  
RPOV

I am roused from sleep by Stepy wiggling her bottom against me to get more comfortable. I feel the throb in my groin as a reaction. I look over to the bedside clock, 04:55, I may as well get up and get my morning workout done. Just because it's Christmas Day doesn't mean I slack on keeping up the temple, besides I'm a little nervous about how today will turn out.   
I slip from behind Steph careful not to wake her. I head to the changing room, slip off my boxers, and slip on gym shorts and running shoes. I may as well go shirtless, lighten up the laundry load on Ella a bit.  
I head on down to the 2nd floor gym and enter. I head to the mats to stretch some in preparation. I spend 45 minutes on the treadmill running, then I notice Tank walk in. He nods toward me, then to the mats. I nod back. We spar for another 45 minutes. I look at Tank and tell him. "That's it man, enough for today. Thanks for the workout. Go home and enjoy your day off, bro."  
"Later, RC," Tank replies.  
I decide to cool down with some laps in the pool. After 30 minutes of laps, I decide to call it quits for the day.  
It's nearing 07:30, so I need to shower and wake Steph up for the full day we have planned. We had our dinner and celebration with her family yesterday, Christmas Eve; today is my family's turn.  
I walk into the apartment. All is still silent. I walk to the bedroom and see that Steph is still asleep. I chuckle and head for the bathroom and my much-needed shower.  
I turn the water on and as it is heating up, I strip down. I step into the shower stall and begin to wash. I am standing under the spray with my eyes closed rinsing the soap out of my hair when I feel Steph's arms wrap around my chest and her naked chest pressed against my back.  
"Mmmm ..... my favorite, a wet, naked Batman." She sighs.  
I turn around in her arms and say, "Babe."  
She presses up against my erection and purrs. "Is that my gift for today?"  
"No it is not your main gift for today. This," I say as I press myself to her heated core, "is your everyday gift. It's yours anywhere and anytime you want it. Merry Christmas, babe." I tell her.  
"Merry Christmas, Batman," she says as she tugs my face down toward her.  
After 30 wet, soapy, passion-filled minutes, we emerge clean and ready to face the day. Breakfast is next and once again Ella has outdone herself. Steph loves her banana bread pancakes and I am happy with my usual fresh fruit and bagels. I splurge on a little cream cheese to go with the bagels, it's Christmas after all. We fill ourselves on Ella's wonderful food and head toward the bedroom to get dressed.  
I head to the dressing room and gather up my clothes for the day. I choose black dress pants and a red silk shirt, and of course, my Italian loafers. I leave Steph to get dressed as I do my thing in the bedroom.  
Steph emerges nearly an hour later, but the end result is well worth the wait. She is absolutely stunning. She is wearing a midnight blue wrap-around dress with matching strappy sandals. I smile as I realize that she is also wearing the sapphire and diamond necklace that I gave her 6 days ago. And I wonder where she got the earrings that match so nearly perfectly.  
"I got them at the mall yesterday." She grins.  
"Looks like my ESP is rubbing off on you." I tell her.  
"No, I saw you look at them like you were wondering where they came from or when I got them, like they were new." She laughs.  
"Smart-ass, " I chuckle. "Looks like you're ready to go. You look beautiful, babe!" I say.  
"Yepp, ready, don't forget we have to get all the gifts and load up the SUV." She says.  
"I already had Bobby and Lester to load everything into your SUV yesterday." I tell her.  
"OK, good, then let's go, my love." She smiles.  
We go out through the living room and Steph hurridly grabs a black wrapped gift with a gold ribbon and bow.  
"What's that?" I ask.  
"It's your gift from me." She says. "But you have to wait till we get to your parent's to open it."  
"Whatever you say, babe, I can wait." I remark.  
We head down to the elevator toward the garage. Once in the elevator, Steph turns to me and asks.  
"So Batman, where is my gift for today? It's your last chance to spoil me. I know this one is going to be a doozy." She giggles.  
I flash her my full 1,000-watts as I inform her, "It's already at my parent's house waiting for you."  
The elevator stops at the garage level and we exit to her brand new Mercedes SUV.  
"I'll drive for today, just this once, since you don't know where my parents stay. From now on I'll turn the keys over to you." I explain to her.  
I pull out of the parking garage and we are on our way to Newark. Steph makes it 10 minutes before she has to start up a Metallica CD. I smile over at her and let her get her groove on, it's her vehicle after all. I begin to think of everything that I have planned for the day. My parents have done their part to assist me with some last-minute decorating. The scene should be set perfectly for later. I smile to myself as I remember. Before I realize it, we are at the exit for my parents in Newark.  
"We're almost there babe, you need to turn off the metal mania. This is a quiet neighborhood and there is a noise ordinance." I say.  
"This is not noise!!!" She cries.  
"Anyway, I don't need a ticket for Christmas." I laugh.  
"OK," she giggles. "You win."  
We pull into my parent's neighborhood and I notice Steph is looking a little nervous.  
"They're going to love you, babe." I reassure her.  
She smiles softly over at me. "Let's go, Batman." She says.  
I turn the ignition off, climb out and help Steph to climb down. I start unloading the packages from the rear of the vehicle. Steph grabs a few things to help and we start up the walkway toward my parents. My mom opens the screen and beams at us.  
"Carlos, it's wonderful to see you mijo. And who is this lovely young girl?" She inquires. My dad peeks around my mom with a huge smile on his face.  
"Mama, Papa, this is Stephanie Plum, mi novia." I tell them. They both beam excitedly at us.  
"Estefania, it is great to finally meet you. Carlos has told us so much about you. Please, both of you come in. Carlos, your sisters and brother and everyone else is already here." Mama says.  
"Thank-you ma'am," Steph smiles.  
"Please dear, call me Teresa, and this is my husband Ricardo." Mama replies.  
"Of course, Teresa," Steph smiles.  
"Everyone, Carlos and Esefania are here." Mama yells.  
We walk into the living room and see the eager eyes of all of my siblings and their spouses.  
"Babe, this is everyone. Starting with my sister Celia and her husband James. This is my sister Juanita and her husband Gorge. Next is my brother Alessandro and his wife Penelope. Mama, where is Sophia?" I ask.  
"She couldn't get away from the hospital, mijo." She says.  
"She is a nurse, babe." I explain.  
"You kids get to know each other." Mama says. "The food should be ready soon."  
She turns to go to the kitchen. I tell Steph to sit and I'll be right back. I'm going to see if Mama needs any help. I join Mama in the kitchen.  
"Hey, Mama, is everything ready for my surprise?" I ask.  
"Si, mijo, all is ready and waiting, and your gift is already under the tree with the rest." She smiles.  
"Gracias, Mama," I hug her and return to the living room. I sit down beside my babe and pull her into my arms. My siblings and I sit and chat and catch up for over an hour before Mama comes to call us to our late lunch. We all roam into the dining room and sit down around the large table. There is a smaller table set up to the side for the children. We all make sure the kids are served first, then we bow our heads and recite grace.  
"Amen," we all say in unison. We then start passing dishes around.  
"It all smells and looks so delicious." Steph says in awe.  
For the next hour or so we all fill ourselves with Mama's wonderful cooking.  
"That was great, as usual, Mama." I brag.  
"Thank-you mijo. Let's all go to the living room now for coffee and presents." She smiles.  
"No coffee for me," Steph replies. "I'm too full of wonderful food."  
We all retire to the spacious living room. Celia and Allessandro start to pass out all of the gifts, telling the kids to wait till they all are passed out to begin to unwrap them. Once all of the gifts are gone from underneath the tree, the children begin to tear into everything excitedly. Thirty minutes later, the room is a mess, but the kids are happily playing. The adults get the paper cleaned up. Mama gets our attention by saying, "Let's all go outside and and enjoy the night air and my decorations."  
James pipes up, "I'll stay here and watch the kids, you all go enjoy."  
All of us adults head outside. I wrap my arms around Steph's waist and pull her near to keep her warm. We start circling around the rose garden admiring Mama's gorgeous lights and holly and poinsettias, set about in the perfect placement. The central point and most beautiful sight is the small fountain in the center that she has somehow lit up from the inside. The water is slowly changing colors from red to green to purple and all colors in between.  
"This is absolutely gorgeous, Teresa!" Steph sighs.  
"Thank-you, dear," Mama beams.  
We stop our walk at the small concrete bench by the fountain. This is the perfect spot.  
"Babe, you have one gift left." I grin as I pull the small golden wrapped box out of my pocket. Steph smiles and sits down on the bench as she takes the box from my hand. She slowly removes the gold paper and bow to reveal the black velvet box. She opens the box and her eyes widen in shock. Inside the box is nestled a 3-carat marquis shaped diamond with two baguettes set in platinum. As she looks up at me, I take the box from her and drop to one knee.  
"Te quiero con todo mi corazon y el alma mas y cada dia. Tu iluminas mi lado ocsuro y llevar alegria y asombro a mi espiritu herido. Por favor, no solo el hombre mas feliz del mundo de hacer, pero tambien el mas afortunado por ser mi esposa. Casate conmigo Estefania por favor?" I mangae to get out.  
"You know I didn't understand most of that, right?" She laughs.  
"I'm sorry babe, when I get emotional I resort to Spanish. What I said was ..... I love you with all of my heart and soul more and more every day. you light up my dark side and bring joy and wonder to my wounded spirit. Please make me not only the happiest man in the world, but the luckiest too by becoming my wife. Marry me Steph, please?" I patiently await her answer. She replies through tear-streaked eyes.  
"Yes, Carlos, I would be honored to become Mrs. Manoso." She cries happily.  
I pull her to her feet and wrap my arms around her. I then kiss her fiercely. When we break apart, I realize we are still surrounded by my cheering and crying family.  
"It's about time!" Celia cries.  
Then the hugs and congratulations begin. Once everyone is all hugged out and the tears somewhat dry, we all head back indoors. I look over at Steph and notice a sly grin hidden in her eyes.  
"What's up, babe? I smell something burning." I ask.  
"You'll see in a few." She grins. "You have one more gift to open. I'll be right back, it's out in the car."  
Steph returns a couple of minutes later with a medium sized box wrapped in black with a gold bow and ribbon. It's the gift she grabbed on the way out of the apartment earlier. She smiles wide as she hands it to me.  
"Merry Christmas, Carlos," she says joyfully.  
She sits down on the love seat beside me, surrounded by my parents and all of my siblings. I slowly remove the wrappings. When I lift the lid, my jaw drops and so does my usual blank expression as I look back up at her dumb-founded. In the box is an strange assortment of items. I look down at a yellow rattle with the black "Batman" logo, a blue and a pink pacifier, a black onesie embroidered with the "Rangeman" logo, and a framed black and white sonogram picture. The black Batman frame is engraved with the words "Our Batbaby". I feel the moisture begin to form in my eyes as I hold up the onesie for all to see. I barely stutter out my words.  
"Babe, really? Are you having my baby?"  
She smiles through her tears and says. "Yes, Carlos, we're having a baby. That sonogram is from last week. I am 11 weeks along."  
I pull her into my arms and hold her tight. Mama is gasping and crying, as are my sisters. We both get another round of hugs and congratulations. The framed sonogram also gets passed around and cried over. We all sit around and chat for a couple more hours before I notice that Steph is getting a little tired. Mama speaks up.  
"Mijo, you better get this little mama home and to bed. She will need to rest more now."  
"Si, Mama," I agree. "Let's get you home, babe."  
We say our goodbyes and hug everyone one more time before we start down the walkway to the car. We climb in and head back to Trenton. Steph, of course, dozes on the way home. As we pull into the garage level, Steph stirs.  
"We're home, babe." I say gently.  
She barely moves so I go to the passenger side and lift her out of the vehicle. I lock it up and carry her to the elevator and up to 7. I unlock the apartment and close the door behind me. I carry Steph to the bedroom and gently place her on the bed. She blinks open her eyes and asks me.  
"We're home already? What about telling the guys and my family the news?"  
"We can tell everyone all the good news tomorrow, babe. You need to rest now." I tell her.  
"OK," she yawns, as she turns over and drifts off again.  
I stand there looking down on her sleeping form and feel all the love and emotions coming back to me. I can't believe I was so stupid to push her away for so long. I am so glad I finally got my head out of my ass and acted on my feelings. Now I have such a wonderful future to look forward to with my babe, and now our baby. I am in awe.   
I remove my clothes and join her in bed. As I take her in my arms and rest my hand protectively on her belly, I think to myself. 'This is the most blessed Christmas I have ever had. And now I can look forward to a life-time more!' ###

THE END!!


End file.
